Bodycote PLC, the largest thermal processing services provider, has announced that it has purchased the heat treatment business of Curtiss-Wright Corp., including its three locations in Wichita.

The plants, under the Metal Improvement Co. name, are at 1019 S. McLean Blvd., 1009 S. West St. and 1618 S. Ida.

The cost for the division was $52 million.

"We are delighted to be acquiring this heat treatment business, which fits extremely well with our existing organization and our overall strategy. Adding these nine sites to Bodycote’s existing 35 US plants provides significant additional capability and a broader customer base in key regions. The acquisition includes three sites in Wichita, Kan. providing Bodycote with a major presence in this strategically important aerospace industry hub,” Bodycote CEO Stephen Harris said in a statement.